Railway car structure



March 1, 1938. A. WASBRG RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'Filed Deo'. 1:5. 1954 NEY ATT

March 1, 1938. A. wAsBERG RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Shee-t 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1934 .llllllllllnllll III I. M ml."

. INVENTOR 4X5/ BY @j i A jwe/y TORNEY) Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STA'EES FTENT OFFICE RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE corporation of Illinois Application December 13, 1934,Serial No. '757,246

13 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to sliding doors and associated structure for house cars, although not limited to such structures.

This application is a continuation in part of a co-pending application Serial No. 692,229, filed October 5, 1933 by the same inventor.

The ordinary locking mechanism for a movable door post of the type involved is likely to be injured by forcible contact with the stationary door post, when the auxiliary door is opened, or with shifting merchandise in the car. The structures. described in this application and in said earlier application have for a common general object the protection from injury of the locking mechanism of the movable auxiliary door post.

Another object of these structures is to simplify the door latching mechanism by embodying the same in few parts.

In structures of the general type referred to, the locking mechanisms at the top and bottom of the post frequently are interconnected so that they may be operated as a unit. lf one of the mechanisms is injured or its smooth operation blocked in any way, it may be difficult or impossible for the other mechanism to function. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the locking of the auxiliary post at top and bottom by making the upper and lower locking mechanisms operable separately from each other and at the same time making possible the actuation of both the upper and lower mechanisms by a single. manual action.

In most auxiliary door locking mechanisms of the general type referred to, a casting is sunk within the floor of the car at the center of the wide door opening but a portion of the casting projects above the floor a couple of inches to stop the door post and to receive the locking mechanism. This projecting p-ortion interferes with the handling of lading across the threshold opening and is objectionable for this reason` Another object of the present invention is to stop the door post movement and securely engage the post in desired position and at the same time to maintain a flush floor and threshold top surface.

These and other incidental objects referred to below are attained in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the side sill, side plate, side door, threshold, and door track showing a portion of the floor and the movable door post attached to the door and the locking mechanism therefor, and is taken on, the line I-I of Figure 2.

(Cl. .Z-22) Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section and viewtaken on the corresponding section line of Figure l. y

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2 and showing the adjacent upright post of the car framing.

Figure Ll is a detail vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section corresponding to Figure l but illustrating a modified structure.

Figure 6 is a view and section corresponding to the lower portion of Figure 2 but illustrating the structure shown in Figure. y

The structure illustrated in Figures l to 4 includes an underfrarne side sill l, carrying a threshold angle 2, and reinforced at the doorY opening by a channel beam 3. The floor 4 rests upon the sill I Aand is protected at the door opening by a threshold plate 5. Brackets 6 on channel 3 carry the track i on which the door 8 is mounted by means of anti-frictionV elements 9. The door is formed of steel panels l0 with suitable reinforcing pressings ll and front and rear edgings l2 and I3, respectively, to which weather strip elements I4 and l5 are attached.

It will be understood that thedoor illustrated is the auxiliary door of an automobile type door. The movable door post is indicated at I6 and comprises a metal member, substantially U-shape in cross-section, and secured to the remainder of the door structure by rivets Il. A wooden furring strip i8 is mounted on the inner face of one leg of the U-shaped post I6 and serves as a cleat to which grain boards may be nailed, but this wooden member is not relied upon to brace the door or to secure the door in position.

The car side plate consists of a Z-bar I9 to which the top retainer 2B and the door header 2l are secured. When the door is in closed position, its post l5 may be retained by the latch 22, pivoted in the housing 23 mounted on the side plate I9 and constructed and disposed to ride over the outer leg 24 of the door post pocket as the latter moves towards the extreme position and then to drop down in between the two legs of the pocket to positively engage the outer leg of the same and lock the post and door against opening movement. As the door approaches its open positic-n, a portion 26 of housing 23 serves as a stop for the upper end of the pocket casting.

A casting 2l, attached to the lower end of the door post, serves as a mounting for the roller 28 and as a guide for the vertically sliding latch 29 adapted to drop through an opening therefor in the threshold plate 5 and the angle 2. A coopserves as a stop for the closing movement of the main door.

A portion 32 of threshold plate 5 isrprojected upwardly to form a support for roller 28 at this point so as to take the strain off of the door framing and avoid sagging of the door.

Latch 2S is provided with an upwardly extending bar 33 terminating in an outwardly extending handle 34 by which an operator may lift the bar and latch to unlock the lower end of the post from the car framing. A rod 35 is: slidably mounted in the upper portion of the post and includes an outwardly extending handle 36 which may be grasped by an operator to thrust the rod upwardly and disengage latch 22 from the-outer leg 24 of the post top pocket and thereby releasethe upper end of the post. Members 33 and 35, and the parts associated therewith, maybe actuated independently of each other, and this arrangement is a decided advantage in that it isVv some-l times impossible to lock both upper and lower mechanisms and if this is the case, there ils-no interference with the locking of the other mechanism. However, if both mechanisms are functioning normally, they may be actuated by a single upward movement of handle 34 continued beyond the extent necessary to disengage latch 29 and member 3l. Such movement will effect vthe release of latch 22 since the upper end of bar 33 will engage the fork 31 at the lower end of rod 35 and elevate the same and the latch.

The U-shaped post I6 forms; aY housing for the elements 21, 29, 33, 34, 35, 361, and 31, whereby these elements are protected from any likely injury arising rom shifting of the load. When the .door is opened and post IB moves to the position indicated by broken lines in Figure 3, the stop members 38 and 40 en gage to limit the movement of the door, but irrespective 'of the functioning of these stop elements, it will be noted that'the post prevents any impact between the door operating elements and the side framing post 4I.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modied structure differing from that above described in that the operating member 50 is a continuous bar from top to bottom of the post and is bent outwardly at its intermediate portion to form the handle 5I. Also the lower-end 52 of bar 50 forms a latch for the lower end of the post 53 an-d is received in a socket 54 provided in a stop casting 55 which projects above the top of the oor 55 and extends inwardly of the outer face of the side sill 51. In this position, the latching bar rests upon a shoulder 53 on casting 55 and upon a shoulder 59 on the hollow casting 25 attached to the upper end of the post and engages the upper offset 6U on the latch bar. The lower portion of the latch bar is squared at 54 and slides in a similar squared portion of casting 55 to prevent rotation of the operating member. This modification retains the desirable features of protecting the operating mechanism in a U-shaped housing facing inwar-dly of the car. Also the upper and lower latching mechanisms engage the door independently of each other although a single unlocking member is used to release the latch elements.

Various features of the structure may be subject to other changes in details, and the exclusive use of all modications of the construction coming within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. In a railway car, a sill structure, a side plate, a movable door post, a pocket forming member on the upper end of said post, a hook on said plate for entering the pocket in said member, a socket forming member secured to said sill, a bolt on vsaid post for entering said socket, said hook and bolt cooperating with said pocket and socket respectively and being operable manually independently of each other, and an unlocking member for releasing both said hook and bolt by a single manual operation.

2. In a railway car, a floor surface, a side plate, a movable door post, a member .on the upper por.- tion of said post'hollow from top to bottom, a

holding element mounted on said plate and ar- I ranged to ride over the edge of said member and drop into the hollow therein to secure the upper portion of said post in position, a similar hollow member on the lower portion of said post,;a bolt slidable in said latter-mentioned member, -a socket below said floor surface for receiving said bolt to hold the lower portion of said post in position, there being a shaft slidable in said post and through said members for dislodging said holding elements and post from engagement with said first-mentioned member and said pocket, respectively.

3. In a railway car, a sill, a floor, a sliding door having a metal post including a leg extending transversely of and inwardly from the plane of the door, a pocket member mounted directly on the side of said sill facing outwardly of the car, and a post securing member mounted on said post and movable downwardly past the edge-of said floor into said pocket member.

4. In a railway car, a sill, a floor, a threshold plate projecting outwardly beyond said sill and having a vertical opening therein, a stop casting secured directly to the side of said sill facing outwardly of the car and having a pocket below said opening, a movable door post having a U- shaped cross-section with its back against the outside of thek door and its legs extending inwardly therefrom, and a latch mounted in said post to slide through said opening into said pocket abreast of said sill to secure said post in position.

5. In a railway car, body framing, a door, devices at the top and bottom of said door for engaging said framing to hold the door in position, actuating members for said devices constructed and arranged to be manipulated independently of each other to engage or to disengage said devices and said framing, and cooperating elements on said members whereby one may be manipulated by the other.

6. In a railway car, framing including a top member and a bottom member, a door, interengaging mechanism on said door and top member, a device extending downwardly from said mechanism and movable upwardly to release the same, interengaging mechanism on said door and bottom member, a device extending upwardly from said latter-mentioned mechanism and movable upwardly to release the same, said devices being so separated that they may function independently of each other to release their respective mechanisms, and cooperating elements on said v devices whereby continued movement of one of them beyond the point necessary to release its associated mechanism will effect movement of the other device to release the mechanism associated therewith.

7. In a railway car, framing including a top member and a bottom member, a door, interengaging mechanism on said door and'top member, a device extending downwardly from said mechanisrn and movable upwardly to release the same, interengaging mechanism on said door and bottom member, a device extending upwardly from said latter-mentioned mechanism and movable upwardly to release the same, the adjacent ends of said devices being spaced apart so that each may function separately from the other, the upper of said devices having a forked lower end and the lower of said devices having a portion disposed to engage said forked end and a portion projecting laterally therefrom and forming a handle whereby the device may be moved into engagement with the forked lower end of the device to actuate the latter.

8. In a railway car, a side sill, a oor, a movable door post, and elements mounted directly on said sill and post constructed and arranged to engage each other below the level of said oor and outwardly of the normal outer edge thereof to secure said post in position.

9. In a railway car, a side sill, a floor extending thereover, a threshold extending outwardly from said iioor and sill at approximately the same level as said oor, a movable door post, and elements mounted directly on said `sill and post constructed and arranged to engage each other below the level of said floor and threshold to secure said post in position.

10. In a railway car, a side sill, a floor terminating substantially ush with the outer face of said sill, a threshold plate extending outwardly from said oor and sill at approximately the same level.

as said floor and having a vertical opening therein, a movable door post, a member below the level 0i said threshold and on the side of said sill facing outwardly of the car, and an element on said post for engaging said member to position said post.

11. In a railway car, a side sill, a floor, a stationary post, a slidable door, cooperating weather strip elements on said post andidoorserving to limit movement of the door in one direction, a post movable with said door, a member below the level of said floor and on the side of said sill facing outwardly of the car, and cooperating elements on said movable post and member for hold- Y f ing said movable post in door closing position with said weather strip elements engaged, said cooperating elements including means for automatically taking up clearance or wear between said weather strip elements.

` 12. In a railway car, a sliding door, a post carried thereon, and a member mounted on the lower end of said post comprising a housing for a post supporting roller and also forming aguide for av postlocking bolt and also forming a stop engaging block.

13. YIn a railway car, a sliding door, a post carried thereon, Va member mounted on Vthe `lower end of said post, a post and door supporting roller housed in said member, a locking bolt slidable on said post and guided by said member, and a stop element opposing said member to limit the movement of said post and door.

' AXEL WASBERG. 

